Two actors on the long-running soap opera General Hospital left the show over the ABC Network’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Steve Burton, who had a role on the show since 1992, announced Tuesday he was fired for not complying with the vaccine policy.
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“I wanted you to hear it from me personally. Unfortunately, General Hospital has let me go due to the vaccine mandate,” Burton said in an Instagram video. “I did apply for my medical and religious exemptions, and both of those were denied, which hurts. But this is also about personal freedom to me. I don’t think anyone should lose their livelihood over this.”
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ABC, which is owned by Disney, enforces a vaccine mandate, although comparable soap operas on other networks such as NBC’s Days of Our Lives and CBS’s The Young and the Restless have not implemented a similar policy.
Burton said he was grateful for the fans he gained in the nearly 30 years since starting the show and looks forward to the future.
“I believe when one door closes, multiple doors open, and I’m excited to see what the future brings,” he said. “And maybe one day, if these mandates are lifted, I can return and finish my career as Jason Morgan. That would be an honor. But if not, I’m going to take this amazing experience, move forward, and be forever grateful.”
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Another actor, Ingo Rademacher, also allegedly departed from the show due to the mandates. Though he has not publicly commented on his absence, his character was written out in an episode that aired Monday, with a source telling Yahoo News the mandate was the final straw. Rademacher was reportedly loudly opposed to the mandates and the vaccine.
The Washington Examiner reached out to ABC Studios for comment but did not immediately respond.
